Shopping at antique malls: What to look for

One of my favorite places to shop for unique home decor is antique shops. In my town there are 2 large antique malls and many small little shops, and an hour north or south leads me to many other great ones too. I'm surrounded by them and shop them often so I wanted to share some tips on how I find great items at great prices. So here we go, 10 tips to make the most of antique malls....

1. Every area is different in what they will carry and their pricing but in my area I find that the antique malls tend to have better pricing and better items in general, so i usually check them out 1-2 times a month to just see whats new.

2. Go towards the middle/end of month. Most vendors are trying to make rent or are getting ready to move out so they often have good sales near the end of the month. My mom and I checked out our favorite mall just the other day and there were so many booths that were 50% off!
My example: I got this super cool eye chart [that I've been wanting for forever] for just $11.00  $5.50 and an awesome silver serving set for just $12.00  $6.00!

3. Walk through the entire mall, don't skip the "crappy" booths. The booths where it looks like a hot mess are sometimes the ones that have the best stuff !

4. Look for booths run by men. You can absolutely tell when a booth is run by a man because he'll have lots of "manly" items. Antlers, old bottles, vintage tools etc. MOST of the time I have found the prices are way below value because they are trying to make quick money on the items and don't always research them to find out what they are REALLY worth.
My example : I got this vintage scale for $7.99! I was walking through the mall and saw this mans booth, he was working in it adding new items and I checked the price of the scale, $9.99. Before I could pick it up [this was a MASSIVE steal at that price] he said "Ill take $7.99 for it." Score.

5. Know what you are looking for and look for only those items. When I walk into an antique mall I have a list in my head [and sometimes on my phone] of what I'm looking for. As I walk down the isles I am looking for only those items, now, if something else jumps out at me I will still consider it, but I stick to the list as closely as I can. I have found if you have in your head that you are looking for very specific things then you wont stop to look at every little item in every booth and you'll end up buying less!

6. Carefully consider your purchases and walk away if you don't love it, or the price. There are countless times that I have found something that I A. Love it but the price is high or B. Don't love it but the price is low. These are both times where I will walk away fro an item, no matter what. Sometimes I will walk away from an item I am unsure of and if I cant stop thinking about it by the time I get to the register I will go back and get it.
My example: The other day I went to a vintage market and I saw this cool print. It was $25 and I had no idea where I would put it so I passed. I walked around the rest of the market thinking only about that print. By the time I had walked through the whole thing I was still thinking about it, so I went back and grabbed it. It wasn't the most affordable item I bought that day but it was still the best purchase because I really loved it.

7. Check out markets in your area. You can search on Facebook or just Google to find Vintage Markets in your area. Since learning about these a year ago I have already been to 3 and have plans for 2 more! They are awesome! Especially ones that have a ton of vendors like the Vintage Whites Market. It comes once a year and has vendors from all over the country! I have NEVER walked into a market and not let with something great!

8. Bring a friend. I love bringing my husband with me because he can spot things much better than I can. Before we go in I say "okay, today we are looking for ...." and he goes on a mission. Often times he will point out something that I didn't even see when I walked past. It helps to have that second pair of eyes. Just make sure the person you bring LIKES doing this type of shopping, otherwise you'll feel rushed and that's horrible when you're antique shopping because its all about ...

9. Taking your time! Don't rush. Walk slowly down every isle scanning every booth. Only walk into the booths that really catch your eye but LOOK at every one. This way, you wont miss anything and you wont waste your time in booths that have nothing for you.

10. Pay attention to the signs. A lot of booths in our area will have a sign that says "50% off everything" but in finer print we see "Only items over $5.00, excludes firm." If you don't pay close attention to that fine print you might fall in love with that $40 lamp shade you think is $20 but since its marked firm its not on sale and you don't actually LOVE it at $40. Knowing right off the bat what is or isn't discounted will make you shop smarter and saves the argument at the register when it rings up full price.



For anyone local here's a list of my favorite shops/ markets that are coming up...

Willowstone Antique Marketplace
-my favorite! So well organized and prices are affordable

American Classics Marketplace
-not organized and some prices are high but you can find some real gems here.

Vintage Whites Market
March 31-April 1 2017
National Western Complex, Denver, CO

Old House Vintage Market
January 13-14 2017
The Rance, Loveland, Co

Hope this helps!

xoxo,
Jackie